This invention is related in general to networks, and more specifically, to systems and methods for transferring information, such as video content, via a network.
Systems and methods for transferring information via a network are employed in various demanding applications including video conferencing, network gaming, Video-On-Demand (VOD), and general file-transfer applications. Such applications demand efficient transfer of information with minimal glitches, errors, and consumption of network resources.
Efficient content-transfer systems and methods are particularly important in VOD applications, where timely transfers of excessively large video files are critical. Conventionally, a VOD system running on a client computer will download one or more video files from a remote location via a network in response to user input. Unfortunately, existing file transfer and download-scheduling techniques employ relatively inefficient protocols characterized by slow download times and network-traffic bottlenecks. Such inefficient data-transfer protocols limit VOD quality and functionality. The resulting dearth of viewing features and related functionality and quality afforded by existing VOD systems reduces the popularity of such systems.